Skin to Bone
by Hero'sBaneBlade
Summary: Not quite sure what I'm going to do for pairings, tell me what pairings you want to see in a review. Remember, I need reviews. I'm gonna try to post a new chapter every Thursday, around 2:00 EST. Anyone who got the Lord of the Rings joke in chapter 6, I'm very proud of you.
1. It Starts With

**Well, here we are again, the start of a new fanfic, primarily because I have major writer's block on New Commonwealth. Also I have no attention span. This one is a Harry Potter fic, and, boy did I go all out for this one. I've created whole societies in the Wizarding World, added new species of magical creatures, and more. Bonus points to anyone who can tell me what's special about Riath (I think I made it pretty obvious), and/or what Giullare means.**

* * *

Riath Daevon Giullare Dracul stood at the gate of Malfoy Manor, his bag against his leg, and his familiar, Nightmare, curled around his neck, sleeping. He stood for a moment, watching the manor as though he could see the people moving inside, sighed, and strode briskly down the lane towards the house. He grinned, remembering days spent playing on the grounds of the manor with his cousin and their friends. He passed the Quidditch pitch, bringing back memories of flying with his cousin, and playing with the pixies that often appeared there. They were normally obnoxious and cruel creatures, but seemed to almost fear him, and as such had been quite docile.

Around five minutes later, he reached the door to the manor, and knocked loudly. The door swung open, revealing a house elf dangling from the door handle, Having had to jump to reach it. Suppressing a laugh, Riath reached out and helped the elf to the ground. It looked up to him with awe, and thanked him profusely.

"Thank you sir, thank you! Jarvy is very grateful for your assistance! Master is sending Jarvy to see Master Dracul into the house, but Jarvy is getting stuck, the door handle is being very high up sir, very high up indeed!"

Laughing, Riath responded to the elf,

"It's not an issue, Jarvy, now, if you could please take me to my Uncle?"

"Of course sir, of course! It is being an honor to assist Master Dracul!"

The elf then turned, and dashed off, leaving a startled Riath to run after the impressively happy elf. His bag was no longer behind him, but that was normal for the manor, the house elves we very skilled at staying unnoticed, after all. The commotion of both him and Jarvy dashing through the house had woken Nightmare, and the small dragon stirred on his shoulders, before leaping to the ceiling, and crawling after his friend and the house elf.

As the small and slightly odd looking party moved down the hall, Jarvy suddenly stopped and opened a door, gesturing for Riath to follow. He reached out as he walked through the ornate door, carved with the Slytherin serpent, allowing Nightmare to crawl up his arm and back to the dragon's original position on his shoulders. As he stepped through the door, his instincts kicked in, and he quickly analyzed the room.

The large sitting room was ornatlely decorated in the typical silver and green, and was furnished lavishly, with comfortable looking chairs and couches. A low table carved from ebony sat in the center, and three people were seated around it. On the sofa, facing him, were his Uncle and Aunt, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy. To the right of them, in a green chair, was his cousin Draco, who looked slightly disinterested in the proceedings. Jarvy had disappeared entirely.

Riath grinned and approached his uncle first, as Lucius stood to meet him. They shook hands, and he moved to the side, embracing his Aunt, who looked slightly more happy to see him than his Uncle had. His cousin stood next and the two shook hands before stepping apart. Lucius was the first to speak, addressing his Nephew.

"It is wonderful to see you again Riath, but Narcissa and I have important issues to attend to. Draco will show you to your rooms." He then took his wife by the arm, and the two strode out of the room. Draco laughed, and then embraced his cousin. The two then headed off towards the house's west wing, Nightmare following along the walls, eyeing the few house elves they passed hungrily as he went.


	2. All That They Can See

**All right, sorry about the short chapter, but I realized that it wasn't going to flow right the way I had it.. This was originally the rest of chapter one, now its chapter two, because of the time skip. Anyone figure out Riath yet? Leave reviews, tell me what you like and don't like, so I can improve my writing.**

 **-Hero**

* * *

Harry Potter sat in his compartment on the Hogwarts Express, half asleep as the train headed north. Luna sat to the right of him, still buried in her upside down copy of the Quibbler, Ginny reading over her shoulder. Neville was sleeping in the opposite seat, Trevor the toad sitting upon his head, when there was a knock, and the door slid open. A boy around Harry's age stood there, dressed in muggle clothes. He wore a black leather jacket over a blood red t-shirt. Black jeans ran down to dark combat boots, and he wore some kind of reptilian creature slung around his neck like a scarf. His trunk seemingly floated behind him, clearly using magic.

"Anyone sitting here?"

Harry looked up and quickly calculated the remaining seats, noting that four were unoccupied.

"We have two still coming, but there's still two open if you need somewhere to sit."

"Thanks. I'm Riath, by the way. Ry Giullare."

Harry grinned, "Nice to meet you Riath." Neville and Ginny waved, and Luna didn't move from behind her Quibbler. As Riath sat down, Hedwig shied away from him. Confused, Harry and Ginny looked towards him, only to have their questions answered as Riath's "scarf" lunged for Hedwig's cage, it's jaws opening as it moved. Riath spun in shock, catching the two year old dragon by it's back legs and pulling his pet away from the owl cage. Ginny looked at Riath and his dragon in terror.

"What the fuck is that?" she questioned, "Rhetorical question, follow up, why and how the fuck do you have a fucking dragon." Riath looked at her in mild shock, and then answered,

"The "fucking dragon" as you so eloquently put it is Nightmare, and I have a lisence to own and care for dragons. I also have the Headmaster's permission to bring him to school." he then opened his trunk, and pulled out a small package of catnip. As Nightmare lunged for the cage again he pressed the catnip to Nightmare's nose, and the dragon collapsed, fast asleep, onto his owner's lap.

Suddenly, the door slid open, and Harry sighed. "What the hell do you want Malfoy?", he snapped.

"Calm down Potter, I'm here to see my cousin. Hey Riath, why is Nightmare asleep this time?"

"He tried to eat an owl."

"Again?"

"Yes, again. Apparently he has a taste for owl."

Malfoy laughed, and then sat down next to Riath, and Harry noticed that both Crabbe and Goyle were absent. Ginny's jaw dropped. Malfoy, sitting in their compartment, completely calm. She snapped out of her stupor just in time to hear Harry's next question.

"Where are Crabbe and Goyle?" Malfoy looked at Harry, and thought for a second before responding.

"They're back in car with the other Slytherins. I figured bring in them here wouldn't help my 'I come in peace' thing."

"Oh. You're probably right."

"Yeah."

* * *

 **So. I know Malfoy is REALLY OOC, the idea here is that most of the other Slytherins bring out the worst in him. He needs to look like a pureblood elitist, because he knows it's going to get back to his dad, or that his house mates don't like him any more than anyone else, and would sell him out in a second if it gave them an advantage. He doesn't have to worry about Riath screwing him over, because Riath legitimately likes him as a person. This means he's less of a dick around Riath than when there's other Slytherins around.**


	3. Just Like Before

**So, chapter three. The rest of the train ride, the sorting, and more set up. I'd like to point out that a lot of stuff that happened in the book took a backseat in this one, since the story focuses on Riath and Draco more than Harry. I'd also like to point out that this is rated M. There will be sexual theme, but I DO NOT WRITE SMUT. I have standards. The M rating is mostly for gore (hint hint). As always, leave a review, tell me what you like or don't like. We know you have choice in crappy Harry Potter fanfics, and appreciate you choosing our crappy Harry Potter Fanfic.**

 **-Hero**

* * *

Riath awoke to chaos in the compartment. A boy with red hair and equally red ears stood in the center, shouting at Harry and Draco, who were shouting right back. A bushy haired girl was pulling on the redhead's sleeve and yelling at him as well. Nightmare had woken up and was currently chasing a, to Nightmare at least, bite sized owl around the compartment. The owl in question was flying around, hooting loudly in terror, causing Hedwig to do the same. Abruptly, the black dragon changed targets and dropped from the air onto the back of a ginger can with an incredibly squashed nose. This caused the unknown girl to rush after the dragon-cat combo in an attempt to separate the animals.

Ginny was laughing hysterically from her seat and Luna was entirely oblivious behind her magazine. Neville had thrown himself flat on the ground, hands over his head, in an attempt to protect himself. The redhead continued to shout at Harry and Draco.

"Why the hell is _Malfoy_ in our compartment! Who told _Him_ it he could be here?"

"I did! And because 'he' was being a decent person!"

"It's MALFOY"

"SO? Do you want to sink to that level? Being an arsehole just because someone is from a different house?"

Riath sighed internally, and stood up. He drew his wand pointed it at the redhead, and shouted " _Silencio!_ ". The boy continued to shout, but thankfully, nobody could hear him. Next was dealing with Nightmare, who he plucked off of the cat easily. Next he stepped into the center and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Everybody back off! You! Ginger!" he undid his spell over the redhead. "What's your problem?" The redhead looked at him,

"First my name is Ron, not 'Ginger', and my _problem_ is that Malfoy the wonder ferret over there has done nothing but make our lives harder!"

"In all fairness to Malfoy, Ron," the bushy haired girl spoke, "You weren't that much better. I'm Hermione Granger, by the way."

Ron spun to her and shouted, enraged, "Fine, take his side then!" he whirled back around, "C'mon Pig, we're going!", snatched the tiny owl out of the air, and stormed out, trying his best, but still failing, to look dignified while holding a five inch owl in one hand. The door slammed shut behind him.

Ginny sat down with a huff "My brother, can be such a prat sometimes." she sighed matter-of-factly. "Arsehole." she muttered, flicking off the door. Harry was next to respond, turning to address Riath and Draco, "Sorry about that. Ron, he's… well he's Ron." He sighed in frustration with his best friend. "He doesn't like Slytherins and he _really_ doesn't like Malfoy. Personally, I'm all for second chances, but Ron clearly isn't. He'll come around, don't worry." He said as the train shuddered to a stop. The group gathered up their things and climbed into one of the carriages, Ginny and Hermione looking slightly worried by Harry, who spent several long minutes looking at the thestrals. **So they can't see them, but he can, then."** Nightmare voiced his thoughts, hissing his dragon-speak into Riath's ear. Riath looked at his friend and murmured back, " **Seems that way, Night."** , and the carriages took off up towards the school.

All the students of the four houses of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry sat at their house tables, save for the first years and Riath, who stood by the staff table as the Sorting hat finished its song. McGonagall stepped forward and stopped by the stool.

"Before we begin the sorting tonight, I have one announcement. The fifth year class will be gaining a new student, a transfer from the Caeser School of Magic in Rome, Italy. His name Is Riath Giullare." Then she lifted her scroll and began to call first years up. "Abercrombie, Euan." The boy stepped forward, ,placing the hat on his head. After a moment of deliberation, the hat perked up and shouted " _GRYFFINDOR!"._ Only a few names later, she called, "Giullare, Riath." Riath stepped up, and slid the hat on his head. His eyes closed, and he could hear the hat's voice in his mind. " _Interesting, very interesting. Certainly not Gryffindor, a dark creature such as yourself would never fit in their house, despite your obvious courage. Not Hufflepuff, either, you're far too crafty and underhanded for them. Which leaves Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Perhaps Ravenclaw? Yes, yes, no. No, you are naturally inquisitive, but have no desire to walk around with a book all hours of the day, so… SLYTHERIN!"_ The Slytherin house table, bedecked in green and silver, broke into cheers and catcalls, as their newest member strode over, and stat down. As he looked up at the staff table, a professor with long black hair and a hooked nose looked at Riath approvingly.

Draco leaned over to his cousin. "That's Professor Snape, our head of house. Looks like he likes you too." Riath grinned, "That's a plus, I suppose."

* * *

 **Important things, important things. Riath is a Slytherin, almost a Ravenclaw, but a Slytherin none the less. Nightmare can speak, which will be important later, and Snape is an asshole. Review are to me as blood is to a vampire, leave em! Bonus if you can name the songs and band that the title and chapter titles come from. Extra bonus if you can tell me the albums each song is from.**

 **-Hero**


	4. This Night is Dripping Down

**Chapter four. Quattro. Quatre. Cuatro. Here we go. In this chapter we get an interlude, more important stuff, but none of it at Hogwarts. The new cover image is from google images, I recolored and edited it a bit, but it's not mine. As always, leave a review, they're my life blood.**

 **-Hero**

* * *

The small village was located in eastern Wales, With a population of 57 people, it was a tiny town, that made its money primarily through sheep herding. As of now, one in the morning on September fourth 1995, the village of Duffy's Ford was fast asleep. The sheep were in their pens, and not a creature stirred. That is, until a single figure, dressed in black robes appeared suddenly on the edge of town. In one fluid motion he pulled a wand from his robes, pointed it at one of the houses, and shouted, " _Reducto!_ ". The house exploded, windows shattering and beams buckling under the force of the curse. More black robed figures began to appear around the village and cast their own curses and spells, destroying homes and killing the villagers as they fled. One of the men stormed towards a flaming building and kicked in the door. A man inside shouted to his wife, "Take Jacob and Anna! Get out!" before thrusting at the robed man with a pitchfork.

The robed figure dodged the blow easily, stepped back, and laughed darkly. " _Avada Kedavara!"_ There was a flash of green light, and the farmer fell, dead. His wife, Mary, stood between her children and the attacker, who simply slashed with his wand, the cutting curse severing her windpipe and carotid artery. Blood sprayed across the walls, and Mary Oliver, mother of Jacob and Anna Oliver, wife of Jack Oliver, fell dead. Her children screamed, and backed up, as the man raised his wand to attack again,

But there was no need. The attacker's shout was cut off suddenly, changing mid-phrase into a strangled cry. He fell to the ground, revealing a figure behind him, dressed in dark metal armor, a bloodied spear in one hand, a large kite shield slung on his back. All around the village of Duffy's Ford, armored warriors were attacking, slaughtering the robed attackers. Killing Curses made contact, but the warriors continued unharmed. Terrified by the prospect of unkillable foes, the lead attacker shouted to his men, "Fall back!", and then disappeared. As they fled, so did the warriors, fleeing into the dark of the night.

Lord Voldemort, He Who Must Not Be Named, You Know Who, was livid. No, he was enraged. Appalled, even at the defeat of his Death Eaters during their attack on Duffy's Ford. Adolf Draskon, the man in charge at the village, knelt before his lord, trembling in fear,

"So, Draskon, you have failed to destroy the target assigned to you. Why?"

"My lord, things got out of control, there were strange warriors, under a banner of a red dragon and a green snake. We couldn't fight them, Killing Curses did not harm them and they appeared out of nowhere."

"Interesting, Draskon, but the fact remains, you have failed, and so… _Crucio!_ "

Draskon howled in pain, as though a thousand knives had pierced his skin at once.

" _Crucio!_ "

He screamed again, writhing on the floor at his master's feet.

" _Crucio!_ "

Draskon was begging now, calling for his mother, praying to his god.

" _Crucio!_ "

" _Please. Just make it stop._ " he croaked.

" _Avada Kedavara!_ "

* * *

 **Sorry about the short chapter, but it flowed better this way. I wonder who these strange, black robed men could** _ **possibly**_ **be. I wonder. Points to anyone who can tell me what song the chapter title is from. Extra point for album. Leave a review, tell me what you like and what you don't!**

 **-Hero**


	5. The Catalyst

**Cool, I'm back! Skin to bone chapter 5. The NEW chapter 5. Fun!**

 **Enjoy.**

 **-Hero**

The time until Halloween passed quickly between classes and quidditch, and soon, the day itself was upon them. Umbridge was a pain in the ass, but other than taking every point she could from Gryffindor, did nothing to Harry and the others specifically. All the teams and clubs had been forced to disband and request permission to reform, but even the Gryffindor Quidditch team had managed to secure her permission.

Ron grunted through a mouthful of food, and Hermione groaned.

"Ronald, please stop eating like that!"  
Clearing his mouth of the steak and mashed potatoes, Ron glared at her.

"Eating like what!" he said hotly, clearly annoyed.

"The way you always eat! You stuff an entire plate in your mouth and then try to _talk_!"

Harry sighed, turning to Ginny.

"Here we go again…"

"Yeah."

Suddenly, and explosion echoed through the castle. Dumbledore stood and raised his hands to calm everyone before the students could panic.

"I must ask that everyone remain in their seats until we have discovered the source of that sound. Again, I ask that everyone remain seated." Lowering his voice, he added

"Severus, Minerva, please go investigate the source of this disturbance."

The two teachers rushed off, drawing their wands.

"What do you think's happening?" Ron asked the others.

"Dunno, maybe one of Hagrid's monsters got loose in the school."

"I really hope it's not the Skrewts."

"Oh Merlin please no…"

Several minutes passed, and Snape returned, whispering to Dumbledore. The headmaster stood and spoke.

"It seems that the castle may be under attack. From which, we do not know, but I ask at this time, will prefects please escort all students back to their common rooms. I also ask Misters Potter and Weasley, along with Miss Granger please remain here."

The students quickly evacuated the hall, and Dumbledore approached the others.

"I believe that Lord Voldemort may be attacking the castle. This means that you Mister Potter, are in danger, along with your friends. Please go to my office and wait there. The password is Sugar Quills."

"But-"

Mcgonagall stepped in.

"No buts, Mr Weasley. This is a serious situation, you will do as you are told."

Draco and Riath ran through the halls, explosions echoing outside. They turned into the charms corridor, and narrowly avoided being flattened by the wall as it exploded inward. A group of figures in dark robes spread out through the hall as the two ducked behind a suit of armor.

"Spread out. Find Potter or his friends."

The lead Death Eater began to move towards them, and Riath cursed.

"Shit." He muttered spinning out of cover and wrenching the greatsword from the suit's grip. The Death Eater called out,

"You there! Stop!".

Riath grinned, twirling the blade experimentally. The Death Eater drew his wand and charged.

" _Avada Kedavra!_ " the green light flew towards Riath, and he spun the blade, deflecting the curse. He twisted as two more curses flashed towards him, and swung, the sword slamming into the man with a sickening crunch. The Death Eater fell, and he stepped forward, dropping the blade.

"Hey! OVER HERE!" he shouted. The rest of the attackers turned, just in time to see Riath step over their friend's body. They wasted no time, charging with wands draw, but Riath was ready. As a wave of curses flew towards him, he jumped, transforming mid-leap into a raven. He flew forward, dodging spell-fire, and landed behind the dark wizards, transforming again. As the group turned, he lunged, tackling the first Death Eater. With their backs turned, Draco stood and drew his wand, firing off several curses. Three of them collapsed, taken by surprise. Riath rolled away as the other two Death Eaters lunged at him, though he had already finished off the first with his knife. Rolling under the next spell, he slammed his dagger into another attacker.

Draco slammed hand into the back of a Death Eater's head, finishing the fight as Riath stood, wiping his dagger off on a dead Death Eater's robes. He sheathed the knife, and the two kept heading forward.

As the battle raged below, a young woman stood on the hills near Hogwarts, watching and waiting. She wore dark armor, and a spear hung across her back. Her blonde hair blew in the wind as explosions echoed across the lake. She turned, looking back, where a horde of fighters stood in rank, weapons ready. She raised her spear.

"Let' get 'em boys!"


	6. If Someone's Time Runs Out

**Again, no life, so here's chapter six. Reviews! Come on people! Also, I haven't decided on concrete pairings, so if you have suggestions, stick em in a review. You don't even need an account, you can leave guest reviews, or create one and follow the story to get notifications when the next chapters go up. I'm going to try to get a chapter up every thursday, around 2:00 eastern time.**

 **-Hero**

The battle was in full swing. The Death Eaters were deep in the castle, and it was obvious that they had a target in mind, As the battle raged below, Draco and Riath stood atop the Astronomy Tower. Riath was grinning. Below, he could see a group of warriors, Vampiric, rushing the few Death Eaters still outside. The sound of battle echoed up the walls, and he dove, transforming as he fell, and landing as the skirmish below ended. The leader of the Vampires removed her helmet, and flashed him a smile.

"Katja."

"Hey Ry."

"You're here to help?"

"Yeah. You're dad got wind of the attack, sent us to help. You want to take charge?"

"Yeah. Here's what we're gonna do. Katja, take half of these guys around through the front, join the battle. I'm gonna take the rest through the breach, and join there."

Luna and Ginny dashed through the halls as the sounds of battle echoed through the castle. As they turned a corner towards the stairs, the wall ahead of them bucked, shards of stone flying across the hall. Something outside hit the wall again, and this time it crumbled, and a massive troll stepped through the hole. The beast stood at near six meters tall, its pale blue skin and fur clothes giving it a savage and otherworldly look.

"They have a cave troll."

Spinning on her heel, Ginny grabber her friend by the wrist and the two took off in the opposite direction, but the troll had already spotted them and charged off after them. It roared and swung its weapon, a huge rock on a chain, and demolished a suit of armor just behind them.

Riath grinned as his troops charged into battle, crashing into the smaller group of Death Eaters ahead of them. With a scream, he hurled himself into the fray, cutting down one of Voldemort's minions. The Death Eaters stood no chance against near twice their number of battle hardened Coven fighters, and they were defeated in minutes.

Gesturing to one of the warriors, Riath wiped his borrowed sword on the robes of one of the fallen Death Eaters, and leaned it against the wall.

"Take charge here, I need to go."

"Yes sir!"

With that, he hefted the sword, and dashed off towards the dungeons.

Several minutes later, he reached the Slytherin Common Room. Spitting out the password, the stone wall moved aside, and he rushed through, charging into the dormitories. He threw open his trunk and removed all of his things. He removed the magic false bottom, and pulled out a tightly wrapped package before replacing the bottom and putting his belongings back in the trunk.

He ripped open the package, and unshrunk the contents with a quick _finite incantatem_. First out was a scale-mail chestguard, followed by simple shinguards, and a cloak. He quickly pulled on the armor, fastening the leather straps, and pulled out the final two items, a steel shield, worked with designs in the shape of a serpent and a dragon, and a longsword of finely crafted bloodsilver, with a leather-wrapped hilt. He hung the sword and sheath on his side, buckled the heavy kite-shield on his arm, and left, heading out to the battle.

Luna ducked behind a statue flanking the entrance to the dungeon, dragging Ginny with her. They were just in time. Seconds after hiding, the troll turned the corner, sniffing the air in search of them. A shout echoed through the corridor.

"Hey ugly! Over here!" Riath, armored and armed, stood just inside the entrance to the dungeons. The troll roared, and Riath drew his sword and raised his shield. The creature swung, the massive mace and chain whipping around and ripping through the air at him. Riath screamed, and his shield glowed blue just as the mace hit with the force of a small explosion. He stood his ground, the defensive magic absorbing most of the blow, and with a wordless roar of anger, he struck back, his longsword biting deep into the troll's knee. It howled in pain, and Riath pressed the attack, ripping his sword from its leg and slashing the blade across the troll's chest. With Riath firmly inside its reach, the troll abandoned its chain, and swung with its fist, denting the stone wall as Riath ducked.

" _Savar-Vassad!_ "

His blade glowing blood red, he thrust upwards putting all his strength behind the blow, and stabbed the troll in the crotch. Blue blood spattered the ground, and the troll screamed, entering its death throes as he reversed the blow and slashed its throat. The beast fell with a resounding crash, and he grinned. The two emerged from behind the statue, and he waved before taking off to rejoin the battle.

Upstairs, the fight raged on. Despite her cruelty to the students, Umbridge stood with several of them, holding the great hall against the determined assault of the Death Eaters. The defenders were winning, slowly pushing back the assault, when the sound of a horn burst through the hall.

Warriors in thick metal armor, their shields and helms decorated with the dark mark, rushed into battle, waving weapons and snarling, their green skin, red eyes, and massive size striking fear into the defenders. Their leader, standing near eight feet tall, and wielding a massive two handed axe, rushed straight for Umbridge.

"Filthy beast! _Diffindo!_ " she shouted, firing a severing charm at the orc. It roared in pain, but took the blow and swung, sending Umbridge across the hall, slamming into a wall with a sickening crunch. Snarling at the witch, it crossed quickly, and raised its axe to finish the job, when an arrow slammed into its exposed ribs. Howling, the orc turned and charged at Katja, who dropped her bow and unhooked her bloodsilver spear from her back.

"Come on then, asshole!" she shouted, leveling her spear.

The orc chieftain responded with a roar as he swung his axe down at her head, only to grunt in surprise as she moved and the axe slammed into the marble floor with a harsh clashing sound. She grinned, jabbing it with her spear, but the orc was fast, and it recovered quickly, spinning towards her with its axe already swinging.

The heavy blade slammed into her side, shearing through her armor like paper, tearing skin and shattering bone. She screamed and fell back, her spear dropping away, and then Riath was there, taking the next blow on his shield.

Pushing the attack, the Vampire prince shoved forward and up with his shield, catching his opponent's chin. The orc chieftain's head snapped back, and he slashed out, driving it back further. With a roar of rage, he lunged, burying the blade hilt deep into his opponent's chest. He ripped the blade out, sending up a spray of blood, and the orc chief fell to the floor dead. Their leader dead, the orcs fled, and realizing their support was gone, the Death Eaters followed suit.

Riath pulled back, moving to Katja, but she was already gone. Ginny and Luna looked on as he picked up the corpse and turned, leaving the hall. Whispers shot through the crowd.

" _Such is the way of the world._ "

"He isn't alright." Luna remarked.

"What?"

"He isn't alright. You can see it in his eyes, she meant more to him than he's showing." A Vampire leaned over to them,

"They were shield siblings. They trained together, and it creates an unbreakable bond. You're right, he isn't ok, and probably won't be. THe death of one's shield sibling is absolutely devastating."

Ginny looked slightly sick.

"It'd be like losing a brother or sister."

"Yeah. Exactly."


	7. Confrontation

**So, this is chapter seven, I know it's really short. The reason for that is that I had a much longer chapter, and this was how it made**

 **sense to post it. Next chapter will be up a week from today, between 1:00 and 3:00pm EST.**

 **-Hero**

The student body of Hogwarts sat as the fallen were gathered. A total of twenty nine Vampiric warriors had fallen in the battle, along with three students. Vincent Crabbe had attempted to help the attackers locate Potter, and was killed in a fight with several Vampires, first year Ravenclaw May Aniva had been killed by Death Eaters when she was separated while escaping to Ravenclaw tower, and third year Gryffindor Jason Smith had been struck down while fighting a Death Eater.

Riath stood on the astronomy tower, the moonlight shining down. He could hear footsteps coming up, people looking for him, but he wouldn't be there. When Harry, Draco, Ron, and Hermione reached the top, Riath was nowhere to be found.

Riath leaned back on the throne in the halls of the Coven's capitol. Three weeks since the battle where Katja had died. Two weeks since rebels killed his parents and fled the Coven, leaving him as a Vampire Lord. One since the initial message from Lord Voldemort had reached him. Now the dark lord was on his way to discuss an alliance with the Coven.

"My lord, he's here."

"Send him in."

The gates swung open, and Voldemort strode in, his cloak billowing behind him. He was flanked by several Death Eaters, their faces hidden by masks.

The disfigured dark lord stood impassively as the Vampire Lord spoke.

"Voldemort. You are here to make a request?"

"I am here to make a demand." The dark lord's voice rang out, clear and cold. "You will give me your allegiance, and the support of your forces. Then you will call a meeting of the Vampiric Nations leaders, appeal to them to also join me."

"No."

"You will obey my demands, Dracul, or you will pay the price."

Riath stood from his throne and lunged, too fast for the naked eye. In one swift movement, he grabbed Voldemort by the throat and drew a long dagger. The Death Eaters moved to draw wands, but each found himself facing a guard, a blade pointed at their throats.

"I know quite a bit about you, _Tom_ , and I will not stand to be threatened in my halls. This is the last straw. I am going to tear you and your forces, apart piece by _fucking_ piece, until all that remains is you! You have insulted me, and harmed the Vampiric Nations for the last time, and I will haunt you until your dying day for it!"

"You may try, but I am immortal!"

"So am I. If it takes me ten thousand years, I will see you die! The wrath of the Vampiric Nations is upon you, _Tom_ , and you will not be able to weather the storm. Now get out!" With a roar, he hurled Voldemort back, sending the dark lord sailing through the open throne room doors.

Riath looked up at the rest of the Vampiric Council, finishing his speech.

"We must mobilize our forces, and choose a side. One way or another, we will be pulled into this war, it may as well be now."

"No. We will wait. You may do as you please, but my people at least, will not march against a non-existent threat."

The rest of the council murmured their agreement, and Riath turned, leaving the room.

"Fine."


End file.
